Canadians will not be eating road kill if proposed new meat inspection regulations are implemented, government and industry sources say.
Federal NDP agriculture critic Malcolm Allen raised the specter of road kill consumption in a May 15 news release. He suggested plans to allow on-farm slaughter of food animals, carcass transport to processing facilities and then entry into the food chain would be dangerous to human health.
“First the Conservatives will let private inspectors monitor meat, and now they’re essentially allowing road kill-ready meat into the food supply,” Allen said in an NDP release.
Read Also
Man charged after assault at grain elevator
RCMP have charged a 51-year-old Weyburn man after an altercation at the Pioneer elevator at Corinne, Sask. July 22.
Federal agriculture minister Gerry Ritz called the remarks “wildly irresponsible.”
The exchange prompted several agriculture groups to also respond.
“It’s not true,” said John Masswohl, director of government and international relations with the Canadian Cattlemen’s Association
He said in a May 17 interview that the proposed change would provide another option to livestock producers faced with losses from an injured or wild animal whose condition would not affect meat quality.
“We just see it as a win-win scenario. It’s a win in terms of treating the animal properly and not transporting an injured animal. It’s certainly an improvement for the farmer if they choose that that’s the option that works best for their situation, and would have zero impact on food safety.”
He said the new regulation would apply in rare cases of on-farm animal injury or distress, and such animals would have to be inspected by a veterinarian before death to ensure food safety.
“It certainly isn’t a way to circumvent anything. Your preference certainly would be to send a live, healthy animal for regular slaughter as opposed to dealing in this very inefficient way.”
Wally Smith, president of Dairy Farmers of Canada, said his group also favours the regulatory change, which complies with the dairy industry’s new code of practice.
“There are instances where, in rare and exceptional cases, I think this policy change would serve us well,” Smith said.
He cited a case where a B.C. dairy barn collapsed under snow, resulting in numerous animals too injured to humanely transport yet viable for beef.
“This actually streamlines that kind of situation.”
The Canadian Federation of Agriculture also issued a news release supporting the proposed changes.
However, the Professional Institute of the Public Service of Canada (PIPSC), the union that represents federal veterinarians working for the Canadian Food Inspection Agency, said the regulatory changes would risk food safety at the same time as budget-cutting measures will see the loss of CFIA veterinarians and food inspectors.
“With these changes, there is a greater risk that diseased animals will enter the food chain without timely examination by independent government professionals who are specifically trained for this job,” said PIPSC president Gary Corbett.
He said private veterinarians may be predisposed to approve an animal owned by the producer who pays them. As well, they do not have the specialized training of CFIA inspectors.
As well, he said animals killed on a farm could be transported up to two hours, without refrigeration, to a processing plant.
Masswohl said he had no information on rule change proposals regarding refrigeration but expected there will be opportunity to clarify details before changes are made.
“We’re certainly supportive of having a reasoned, fact-based policy debate on this or any other issue,” said Masswohl.
